Can’t Be Unseen: Ugly Corvette Sighting!

You just never know what you might spot sitting on the bed of a tow truck. Reader Scott M recently spotted something a bit bizarre and strangely intriguing. Here is what he had to say about it in his email. From Scott – Stopped to get a sandwich and when I came out, this was in the parking lot. Don’t know anything about it, but it looks like it is barn fresh!

Seeing as he doesn’t really know anything about it, he didn’t have much to say. But I want to thank him for sharing his sighting with us! It certainly isn’t the prettiest find, but you have to give who ever built it a little credit for being creative. Not that what they did was a good thing!

Initially, I thought it was a body kit from Eckler, but I’m not so sure. The front looks professional with decent lines and smooth curves. The rear on the other hand, looks to be home made or at least was customized by someone who wasn’t particularly skilled at body work. The tail lights are definitely from a Camaro and that wing is ridiculous. What are your thoughts on this one?

Comments

This is actually a rare Vette that was customized personally for head GM stylist Chuck Jordan, the Chrome Cobra himself. It shows the direction Jordan wanted to take Corvette syling. The taillights are the only thing that eventually saw production, but on a Camaro instead.

As can be seen, Chuck had a penchant for putting vinyl roofs on his Vettes, and also note the large rear spoiler on both vehicles.

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Pa Tina

Jun 14, 2017 at 9:40pm

I see no connection or proof Jordan had anything to do with the car in question. His later years prior to retirement were spent working on the Corvette Indy. I do enjoy your sense of humor though. Cheers.

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Keith Kiss

Jun 15, 2017 at 11:19pm

I kinda like it. In a sea of old man Corvettes, it would definitely stick out

Ugly is an understatement. It looks like they started in the 70’s, with the wheels and Can-Am inspired flares up through the 90’s with the rear spoiler similar to that of the last generation of Toyota Supra. I guess you never out grow bad taste.

Some day, when C3’s are priced out of the reach of everyone but those with the deepest wallets, folks will grow bored of seeing all the restored and identical cars sitting in rows at the car shows. When someone rolls up in this monstrosity, you know what will happen? Folks will flock to it. Kids will love the wild lookin’ creature on wheels, and a lot of bluehairs with embroidered Vette logo jackets will have chest pains and rage induced strokes because how dare someone not restore that car right and no it is totally not about how everyone is flocking to that weird abomination instead of their dusted, polished, ‘fixed with a money gun’ trophy vehicle parked beside it looking just like every other one except for the Better Idea Vette (TM) that someone who clearly didn’t ask them first let into the show.

It’s funny, the things people get hung up on. I hope someone don’t go and ruin this oddity by returning it to stock. It’d be a shame to crap all over someones absurd vision that they clearly worked so hard at.

Hey! What’s wrong with the Keystone Classics? They’re 100% period correct and super awesome examples of the day. I can’t say I’ve ever seen them in a gold colour like that, although it could actually be just a fine rusty patina.

No, great big mesh wheels like BBS modulars would be more appropriate (to me). However, obviously each to their own!!

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Mike H

Jun 14, 2017 at 5:43am

Oh, I love something like the BBS wheels you mention for all of my 80’s customs (especially the imports), but for these 70’s vintage slightly-over-the-top cars you just can’t go wrong with Keystone’s, although a nice set of Rader (Radir?) wheels would also suffice.

We can agree to disagree on this, it’s cool.

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Jaygryph

Jun 14, 2017 at 11:10am

About half the vehicles I’ve ever owned were strange as hell. My machine gun laden mad max lookin’ 78 Cougar Brougham sedan also got taken to car shows so I speak from a place of first hand experience.

Don’t get me wrong, I totally (mostly) respect restored and super nice cars and love talking to enthusiastic owners, but there are a *lot* of people out there who get bent out of shape faster than a lead crankshaft when they feel their (usually expensive) efforts aren’t having enough praise lavished upon them.

But ya know what, kids love that stuff, regardless of how it looks or how much you spent. They learn their reactions from their parents and others around them. You go to a show where every car has a “PlEaSe LoOk BuT DoNt ToUcH” sign hanging on it, that’s not fun for kids. It’s like being in a department store with their hands behind their backs.

You want to see a kids face light up, let em sit in the driver seat and play with the steering wheel and knobs. Let em stand on the running board (or in the case of the mad max car the hood, lol) and get a picture with their folks.

When they’re older, they’ll look back on it and remember that they had a great time, and that maybe, just maybe, that started part of their fascination with a hobby much older than them. I’d bet that many of us can trace our fondness, or at least aspects of it, back to someone that didn’t run us out of the shop, or from being curious about something at a car show.

Parents letting their kids run wild are a different matter, but as owners of weird old wheeled things it should be, and is I feel, our responsibility to encourage and engage younger generations if we actually do give a rodents behind about this automotive fandom.

I know I want someone to give a damn about my cars when I’m old and sell em off. I want someone to care about what I held dear, rather than being that guy that is so self centric that they get buried in their prized car so nobody else can enjoy it.

If people want to pitch a fit about how the car hobby is dying, fine, you do that, but don’t pretend that vitriolic and offputting behavior like this isn’t part of what drives younger generations with shorter attention spans away.

You want someone to care about what you care about? Then give them a reason to.

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Rob S

Jun 14, 2017 at 4:22pm

Jayhryph, you make an awesome piont! Kids are the future of our hobby. I let interested kids sit in, play with the siren and emergency lights of my mustang SSP. I let certain people get into my 67 shelby and get the feel of a very cool American dream car. Parents take pictures and videos of their kids doing it. It fuels the imagination and desire to own a classic car. I’ve had two grown up kids who have dreamed of shelby’s their entire life break into tears when they sit in my 67. You know that seed has been planted and they have to have one in their future!

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Adam T45

Jun 13, 2017 at 4:33pm

I can only assume that someone somewhere has a really bad substance abuse issue.

Yes, it came from model glue…LOL! This is the real life creation from when 2 Revell model kits got put together, with a few extras from the spare box of parts. No question. This is 100% where the inspiration for this full size “‘wild-Frankenstein Vette ” came from. Don’t ask how I know…just a premonition…and I think it’s kinda 70’s funky. With some wild paint graphics…best in show?

According to the gospel of St William (Mitchell) “And those that bring scorn unto the body shall be cast out to the wilderness to fend for themselves amongst the serpents and shall endure the sting of every vexation known to man”

Well, I think I was going to say something, but I suddenly felt nauseous and had to go somewhere to……………….. where was I? Oh right. Uh, this thing is, in only a few words, a terrible example of things to do with or to an American Classic. The person who is responsible for this treachery should be denied access to crayons, coloring books, and the published biography of the late great George Barris.

Someone out there has to recognize this as a Greenwood Corvette. Basically built this way for a smooth body to cover the very wide tires in SCCA racing. Paint it, buff it and polish it and like any other car, it will look as great as intended. A rare car which will likely command more money than a stock one in equal condition.

Yeah but not even close. The Wraith car was a Dodge MS4 from the 80’s built as a “technology demonstrator vehicle”. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_M4S Cool car w/ ominous specs. Movie was cool too.

This was someone trying to be different 40 years ago. Wait 20 years and see how people look back at cars now with their hayrack wheels. My great uncle had choice wheels on his hayrack 60 years ago. His rack could really haul hay and he only had 2 horsepower. Incidentally, whatever happened to the “neat” hubcaps that kept spinnin’ when you stopped? Or the neat wings on front wheel drive cars………..?

I think the personalization on these cars rock! What the original designs of these cars lacked, the owners put in many hours and lots of $$$$ to have a unique, one of a kind ride. As most enthusiasts say, stock sucks!